Carpet stretcher



1 1939- J. c. OWENS CARPET STRETCHER Filed NOV. 6, 1956 Patented Dec. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES isten PATENT 2 Claims.

- that may be associated with an extensible member, or provided on one end with a pad that is engaged by the knee of the operator and the forward end of said rod or bar carrying a head in which is mounted for adjustment, a plate carrying a series of prongs that are adapted to engage the carpet during stretching operations.

In the accompanying drawing, and in the following description, the carpet stretcher is set forth as being of the type that is moved forwardly, or that portion comprising the adjustable carpet-engaging prongs may be readily associated with the extensible form of carpet stretcher disclosed in my co-pending application for United States Letters Patent on Carpet stretcher filed June 15, 1936, Serial No. 85,222.

A further object of my invention is to provide a carpet stretcher head in which is mounted for vertical adjustment, a prong-carrying plate, the adjusting movement of which in one direction is yieldingly resisted by a spring, and to provide simple and efficient means for firmly holding the prong-carrying plate after adjustment.

With the foregoing and other objects in View my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a carpet stretcher constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View looking against the underside of the head of the carpet stretcher.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, ll] designates a metal tube that forms the body of the stretcher, and applied to the rear end thereof, is a pad I I that is adapted to be engaged by the knee of the operator when the stretcher is moved forward to stretch the engaged carpet.

Where my improved stretcher is utilized in connection with the form of stretcher disclosed in my aforesaid co-pending patent application, Serial No. 85,222, the pad ll is dispensed with and the tube It is suitably connected to one end of an extensible member that extends entirely across the room containing the carpet that is to be stretched.

Positioned on the forward end of tubular member I is a substantially rectangular head l2, preferably formed of metal, in the underside of 5" which is formed a chamber l3.

Formed integra1 with the upper side of the body [2, is a short longitudinally disposed rib E4, the rear end of which is formed integral with the upper portion of a collar l5 that is formed integral with and which projects rearwardly from body 12.

The forward end of tube [0 is inserted through collar l5 into a recess it that is formed in the rear portion of rib It, and seated in the forward portion of tube I9 is a plug ll, preferably of wood.

To effectively retain the head on the forward end of tube Iii, the lower forward portion of tube It] that projects into the chamber i3 is split lengthwise and transversely to form cars it that are bent outwardly and thence upwardly, so as to lie flat against the wall of body l2 above chamber l3 and to the sides of the recess 16. (See Fig. 4.)

This arrangement of the ears l8 prevents the head l2 from being pulled off the tube It, andthe plug ll prevents the collapse of that portion of the tube that is inserted into the head and collar l5.

Arranged to move vertically within chamber I3, is a plate ill, in which is seated the upper ends of a plurality of downwardly and forwardly projecting carpet-engaging prongs 20.

Passing through an aperture 26 that is formed in the central portion of this plate, is a screw 22, the threaded portion of which engages a threaded bore 23 that is formed in the upper portion of body l2 and the rib 14 formed thereon.

Surrounding screw 22 and interposed between the plate l9 and the upper portion of body 52, is an expansive coil spring 24 that normally exerts pressure on the prong-carrying plate to move the same downwardly within chamber lit.

Seated in plate 19 adjacent the corners thereof, are screws 25 and the upper ends of said screws engage the wall of the body above chamber I3 to firmly hold the prong-carrying plate after the same has been adjusted to the desired position.

It will be understood that the prong-carrying plate 19 is made adjustable in order to control and regulate the degree to which the prongs 2i] enter the carpet that is being stretched, and

such adjustment being necessary due to the fact that carpets vary to a considerable extent in thickness and in the length of nap.

To elevate prong-carrying plate l9 so that the prongs may be properly positioned for engagement in a relatively thin carpet or a carpet having a short nap, screws 25 are unscrewed so as to lower the same through plate 19, after which screw 22 is screwed upwardly into the threaded bore 23 until said plate l9 has been properly positioned, and to firmly hold same in its adjusted positions, the screws 25 are screwed upwardly through said plate until their upper ends engage against the wall of the head 12 above the chamber I3.

To lower plate I9 so as to cause the prongs to properly engage a relatively thick carpet,

or a carpet having a long nap, screw 22 is unscrewed from the bore 23, and spring 24 will force plate [9 downward following the movement of the screw. When plate l9 has been lowered to the proper position, screws 25 are screwed upwardly through the plate H! to engage the wall above chamber l3, and thus hold the prong-carrying plate in its lowered position.

Thus it will be understood that I have provided a carpet stretcher that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved carpet stretcher may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention.

1. In a carpet stretcher, the combination with a head provided in its underside with a chamber and a handle secured to and projecting from said head, of a plate arranged for vertical movement and arranged wholly within said chamber, an expansion spring arranged between the central portion of said plate and said head, a series of prongs rigidly fixed to and projecting downwardly and forwardly from the underside of said plate, a screw passing through the center of said plate for moving said plate upwardly within said chamber against the resistance of said spring, the threaded end of which screw is seated in the upper portion of the head and screws seated in said plate adjacent the corners thereof for locking the plate in its adjusted position within said chamber, the heads of which screws are disposed below said plate and the upper ends of which screws bear against the bottom of the chamber in said head.

2. In a carpet stretcher, the combination with a substantially rectangular head and a handle secured to and projecting therefrom, which head is provided in its under side with a recess surrounded by four walls, of a loosely mounted plate disposed wholly within said recess above the lower ends of the walls around said recess, a screw passing through the center of said recess with the threaded portion of said screw seated in the head above the recess therein, an expansive coil spring arranged between said plate and said head, which spring is disposed about said screw and screws seated in the corners of said plate with the ends of said screws bearing against the bottom of the recess in the head.

JESSE C. OWENS. 

